4th of July, and “The Other America”

With the collapse of U.S. – Russia relations into a looming threat of nuclear WW3, it would appear to some that celebrating July 4^th in Moscow would be a lost cause. However, it is my contention that this auspicious date is more important than ever before, and so this year we will celebrate it with a group which is a part of “The Other America.”  This is a growing movement united by American patriots who share very simple values: live and let others live; win-win in business deals; what is yours is yours, what is mine is mine, the rest is negotiable; one cannot build your security at the expense of others, etc.

Religious folks suggested adding Moses’ 10 commandments, while those with French ancestors suggested adding “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” – Freedom, equality, fraternity.

Human Rights advocates requested adding the adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948. 

As our movement is growing, the list of additions might grow as well but what will definitely not be added is one’s country’s global leadership, its security and values precedence, or any statement that reflects the recent unfortunate remarks by EU Commission VP Josep Borrel who stated “the West is a garden, most of the rest of the world is a jungle.” 

Speaking about threat of WW3, investigative reporter Joe Lauria published an excellent, well-researched work about the Ukrainian timeline crisis starting from the end of WW2 to the present.  At that time the US and USSR were still allies who defeated Nazi Germany but Ukrainian Nazi collaborators were welcomed to America for the future undermining of the Soviet Union. The evidence for this claim can be found in a U.S. government report titled ‘Hitler’s Shadow: Nazi War Criminals, U.S. Intelligence, and the Cold War’ published by the US National Archives in 1998.

In my Washington Times article “Short digest of the roots of Ukrainian crisis” of  September 25, 2018 I started even earlier than Lauria by going all the way back to 1654 when The Pereiaslav Treaty proclaimed reunification of Ukraine led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Russia under Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich.  In those days, Ukraine had many problems with Poland, the Ottoman Empire, and the Crimean Tatars and therefore decided to turn to Moscow for protection.

As a result of this Treaty, Ukraine continued to be a part of the Russian empire for well over three centuries until 1991 (with a short break for several years after the 1917 Bolshevik revolution). During this period Ukraine gained vast territories granted by various Russian tsars and Communist rulers.  The statue of Khmelnytsky is still located in downtown Kyiv, and so far, there are no calls for bringing it down even from the most radical nationalists.

At the same time, the many statues of Russian political, cultural figures, and even military heroes have been destroyed, streets renamed, often in honor of Nazi collaborators. This is despite the fact that during these centuries living together Ukraine and Russia developed strong historical, cultural, religious, economic, and family ties. 

Joe Biden, his administration, a bipartisan majority in Congress, and the media present their current policy on Ukraine as a “defense of democracy”, not only in one of the world’s most corrupt countries but in Europe and even America itself.

Ironically, this is happening when Biden himself is accused of being the most corrupt president in US history, and calls for his and some members of the White House administration, including Secretary of State Blinken, keep growing.

After the collapse of the USSR Ukraine had a unique historical chance to build one of the most prosperous European nations. The way to achieve that was by developing mutually beneficial relations with Europe, America, and Russia, and even more broadly between the East and West while keeping a neutral military status.

Joe Lauria, John Mearsheimer, Jeffrey Sachs, Douglas McGregor, Scott Ritter, Robert F. Kennedy, and many others present a clear picture how the collective West decided instead to turn Ukraine into an anti-Russian beach head and how corrupted Ukrainian rulers have accepted this strategy thus betraying their people. 

Chandran Nair in his article ​The W​​est Must Prepare for a Long Overdue Reckoning​ correctly warns that “the post-Western, multipolar international order is coming to pass… Western nations must adapt to this changing international environment, rather than stubbornly insisting upon business as usual.​”

​It is time that Washington starts listening to The Other America, and others who warn of possible dramatic disastrous consequences of this policy.

Finally, The Other America is attracting attention in other countries. We are getting messages of support and interest in building The Other England, The Other France, The Other Canada, but it is just a beginning.

Happy 4^th of July, the Great Independence Day.